Rai Cinema, profit of 24 million 'Created value for the whole industry'

It is certain, however, that Italia cinema is experiencing a moment characterised by great regulatory uncertainty, especially on the front of public incentives and, in particular, tax credit. The main problem is that the film industry in Italy is experiencing a great deal of regulatory uncertainty

Tax credit is not an accessory, but one of the backbones of the global audiovisual industry. It is an industrial and cultural policy tool that has allowed the sector to grow, become structured, attract investment and strengthen the industry. However, it is a system that needs to be verified, corrected and refined. The Mic has been working in recent months on the quality of regulation for a system less exposed to misuse and with clear rules and effective controls. We need to arrive at a certain timeframe because in a sector with multi-year planning and complex financial structures, uncertainty risks weighing more than the reduction in resources itself. Moreover, the fund, which is fed by a share of the tax revenue generated by the audiovisual sector, can count on at least 626 million. A reduction that is not huge compared to the past and should favour a careful selection of projects and production realities.

How does Rai Cinema stand in relation to the overwhelming power of global platforms?

Platforms have had a major economic impact but also a disruptive role in the market. Lately there has been greater integration with the cinema chain and a more fruitful collaboration, having understood the advantage of the cinema for subsequent exploitation. In any case, we cannot leave the task of telling the Italian identity and culture, our values and the semantic composition of our shared narrative to global companies.

Does the TV-window model still make sense?

The theatre remains central. The subject is at the centre of the debate these days, and at CinemaCon in Las Vegas, the world's leading theatrical convention, it was precisely the studios, starting with Sony and Paramount, that took a step back and considered longer windows. We remain of the opinion that there should be an equal window for all films in Italia so that a clear rule is communicated to viewers.

Political pressures in project selection?

In so many years we have never been under pressure of any kind. And Rai has always assured us total editorial freedom. Together with managerial stability over time, autonomy has been one of the main critical success factors. For better or worse, the choices are our responsibility. This makes it all the more important that the selection is made according to clear editorial, industrial and professional criteria, but never bureaucratic ones. It should be borne in mind that we receive an average of 800 projects per year and that we help realise an average of 60-70 of them. This number makes us the leading European producer for co-produced films. Not an easy job. And the 'no's' are not easily digested.